Spirometra erinaceieuropaei

About Spirometra erinaceieuropaei

The plerocercoid larva of the cestode Spirometra erinaceieuropaei can infect domestic animals and humans (known as sparganosis). Humans can ingest the larva through an intermediate host – for example freshwater copepods, frogs or snakes. The infection is exceptionally rare (the number of reported cases to date is below two thousand), and has been reported primarily in China, Japan, South Korea and South-east Asia. The definitive host species are carnivores (such as cats and dogs) and the larva does not develop to adulthood in humans. Instead, the larva migrates through the body and can be found in locations as diverse as brain, eye, lung, kidney, liver and subcutaneous tissue.